Looking at getting my first laptop

[Canai]

So I'm in the market for my very first laptop. I'm looking at the Gateway M-153S, which is $600 from Tigerdirect right now and seems to be a good fit for me. It comes with a 12-month parts and labor warranty, and there are a couple options for other ones, with the cheapest being $150-ish for a 12 month extension, and the more expensive being a $250 two year accidental damage plan. All of the extended plans are through a third-party company.

I'm generally very careful and gentle with my electronics and I plan on getting a nice padded case for the laptop. I don't see myself dropping it or spilling a beer on it or anything like that, but I will be using it for classes, and I've seen people knock laptops off desks just by walking by them.

My main question is will it be worth the money to purchase one of the additional warranty plans? The accidental damage plan is the one I'd probably get, but it's nearly half the cost of the laptop itself.

Thanks in advance!

 

[waffleironhead]

fwiw, my toshiba tecra m4 had the graphics go bad during the second year of the 3 year warranty. This warranty came standard(included in the price of the tablet). Worth every penny at that point versus paying for the repair out of pocket. I pay for the warranty every time now.

 

[IlllI]

gateway has terrible customer service.

 

[esun]

No, not worth it.

 

[Brainonska511]

The laptop you bought is so cheap compared with an extended warranty, it isn't worth it. 1 year, even on some more expensive ones, is generally enough. Plus, you can always pay with a warranty-doubling CC, like an Amex - mine doubles warranties up to 1 additional year for warranties under 5 years and up to a max warranty of 5 years.

 

[corkyg]

It really depends on your own financial situation. I never buy extended warranties - I can afford to be "self insured." Extended warranties are very profitable for the OEMs. Therefore, statistically, they are not profitable for me. I'm on my 6th laptop since 1994 and have never needed even the basic warranty.

 

[JJChicken]

I would say no because gaming laptops get outdated pretty quick. If i don't plan on upgrading in 3+years then possibly depending on price.

 

[azilaga]

Use AmEx. They'll extend whatever warranty is given for one full year. Visa and MC might do it also, depending on your card.

 

[dcdomain]

For such a cheap laptop I say no. You'll already get the standard one year warranty and depending on your credit card (all the ones I use have it) you'll get another year. By the end of year two you might be getting a new laptop anyway. For comparison, the Lenovo I purchased recently was about $1350. I decided given my old T42 lasted me four years, and how much I beat it up that I wanted at least three years of warranty with two years of accidental. So I paid $100 for two years of accidental and standard warranty service (up from one year of standard warranty), and my credit card covers the third year. $100 was too good to pass up.

 

[ColKurtz]

Originally posted by: dcdomain
For such a cheap laptop I say no. You'll already get the standard one year warranty and depending on your credit card (all the ones I use have it) you'll get another year. By the end of year two you might be getting a new laptop anyway. For comparison, the Lenovo I purchased recently was about $1350. I decided given my old T42 lasted me four years, and how much I beat it up that I wanted at least three years of warranty with two years of accidental. So I paid $100 for two years of accidental and standard warranty service (up from one year of standard warranty), and my credit card covers the third year. $100 was too good to pass up.

Agreed. Thinkpad's (not other Lenovos that I can tell) warranty prices seem to more than make up for any premium you pay for the brand, especially if you can get a Lenovo or IBM EPP code and/or combine that with other sales -- almost always stackable. I got a T61 recently and the warranty was $99 for 3 years after discounts. Once you add up all of the upgrades, a mediocre laptop will be in the same price range as the thinkpad, and it's pretty easy to justify an extra $100 or so for a top-of-the line business-class (thinkpads are not gaming rigs) machine.

 

[Canai]

Thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to go ahead and skip out on the extra warranties, as I really can't justify paying 50% more just for a third party warranty. Unfortunately I'll be ordering it with a debit card, as I don't have any credit cards, so the additional warranty probably won't happen. I think I'll give my parents a call and see if they have any cards that do that, but I'm not too hopeful.